Political Stuff In College Baseball

You’ve been posting this kind of stuff since Baseball 101 when your kid was nine years old. Do you dream it up? Why do you obsess on it? Do you lay this stuff on your kid?

Rule #1 here is don’t worry about what you can’t control. So either tune it out or control it by going into the portal.

@RJM posted:

You’ve been posting this kind of stuff since Baseball 101 when your kid was nine years old. Do you dream it up? Why do you obsess on it?

More of a fascination than an obsession.

Yes, in youth ball (Little League and kid travel), it exists. Anyone who says it doesn't is lying. And, yes, at that stage, we were sometimes on the wrong end of it.

But, to be honest, back then, I always thought "It will be different with High School ball. Can't wait to see it go away!"

And, I was surprised when we got there. It wasn't an issue for my kid. He was always one of the better players and the team relied on him all four years. But, there were others who were still playing "that game" and strings were pulled to favor some players. Again, I didn't care and I didn't obsess on it because it didn't matter to our situation. However, I did find it fascinating that these BS games could still happen at the High School level. I didn't think it was possible but it did happen.

Now, in college? I don't know and that's why I asked the question. It's asked partly out of curiosity and partly out of just making conversation.

I've read posts here that suggest it's possible. But, I already know some posters here are going to say it's impossible. The topic should make for good conversation.

Lastly, I'm flattered that you have such recall of my posting activities over the last 13 years across two different message board platforms. You might want to consider obsessing less about me because I'm not something that you can control. 😉

@Francis7 posted:

More of a fascination than an obsession.

.............................................

I've read posts here that suggest it's possible. But, I already know some posters here are going to say it's impossible. The topic should make for good conversation.

Yes, I've seen it but not in the way you think.  There was a guy on my son's college roster who would not have been on that roster (for 4 years)  if his family wasn't providing athletic financial support to the University.   I'll leave it at that.  He threw to one hitter in 4 years.  Yes, I would call that politics but it wasn't at the expense of someone else's playing time.  While he was not a talented college baseball player, he was a very talented mathematician and caught on to the Sabermetrics wave 10-15 years ago with internships to MLB and MLB teams.  Last I heard he was in an MLB front office in the midwest.

Additionally, I know of another well known D1 program in the mid-atlantic area where the father was the HC, and the son was on the roster.   I knew at least 10 guys in that program, and they all told me the same story.   Albeit 2nd hand, the story was very consistent.  The HC did everything in his power to feature his son in the lineup and on the field even as a freshman.  It was the highest level of daddy-ball I'd ever seen or heard. 

(Sh)It happens.  Just my experience.   

Francis:

Have you observed baseball on the West Coast?

Talent, 6 tools and confidence are the "equalizer". Coaches can see thru the "political" BS.

Bob

@fenwaysouth posted:

Yes, I've seen it but not in the way you think.  There was a guy on my son's college roster who would not have been on that roster (for 4 years)  if his family wasn't providing athletic financial support to the University.   I'll leave it at that.  He threw to one hitter in 4 years.  Yes, I would call that politics but it wasn't at the expense of someone else's playing time.  While he was not a talented college baseball player, he was a very talented mathematician and caught on to the Sabermetrics wave 10-15 years ago with internships to MLB and MLB teams.  Last I heard he was in an MLB front office in the midwest.

Additionally, I know of another well known D1 program in the mid-atlantic area where the father was the HC, and the son was on the roster.   I knew at least 10 guys in that program, and they all told me the same story.   Albeit 2nd hand, the story was very consistent.  The HC did everything in his power to feature his son in the lineup and on the field even as a freshman.  It was the highest level of daddy-ball I'd ever seen or heard.

(Sh)It happens.  Just my experience.   

Yes, a large financial donation can gain your child a roster spot, but at most D1s, you still need to prove yourself.

Rumor:  A best selling author donated millions for a new baseball field/facility at a D1 that had a horrible team record.

Fact:  son had a roster spot.  At least 2 years, that I could find.   Only played in several games.

Update:  Field is spectacular.  Team has since, over a decade later, won a CWS.

There’s politics and nepotism in the real world. Why should baseball be any different.

A perfect combination of politics and woke is the girl on the Brown baseball team. She gets one appearance per season. She hasn’t seen her shadow yet this season. Her name isn’t worth mentioning. It’s not her fault Brown baseball is foolish.

The politics is alive and well for sure. I know of a HC whose son got a roster spot and is certainly not at the level one should be at for that roster spot.

Also my son discovered that several teammate's parents have traveled to the away games to support their child and are doin' their best to become BFFs with the coaches. A bit extreme considering the distance they are from home. I thought it was recommended never to approach a coach? Well these coaches don't seem to mind. So it's definitely a thing.

I think it happens in college.  But, ever since high school, I've known that unless you see what is happening at every practice, you really don't know what's going on with "politics".

I always remember this great post:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...95#24101621421112095

"Coaches do play favorites!  They like some players more than others when it comes to playing time.  They like kids with talent, that are dependable, that work hard, that are coachable, that are great teammates and have a good attitude."

He said it even more eloquently here:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...hes-favorite-players

I can name that poster in 3 words of the post title Alex........................

@RJM posted:

There’s politics and nepotism in the real world. Why should baseball be any different.

A perfect combination of politics and woke is the girl on the Brown baseball team. She gets one appearance per season. She hasn’t seen her shadow yet this season. Her name isn’t worth mentioning. It’s not her fault Brown baseball is foolish.

Don’t agree with you about Olivia at all. It’s a common refrain on this web site that it is hard to get playing time as a freshman. She was a freshman last year and continues to develop. If coach is “woke” about anything it is that he does respect baseball from the DR. I do think she will be a position player and not a pitcher at this level.

I think there probably is some politics. I also agree with anotherparents post that what might look like politics to some of us, is a coach favoring a hard working kid or someone who has other traits that aren't obvious to the rest of us. My son has benefited from that kind of politics since he was 3.

@JohnnySakko posted:

Don’t agree with you about Olivia at all. It’s a common refrain on this web site that it is hard to get playing time as a freshman. She was a freshman last year and continues to develop. If coach is “woke” about anything it is that he does respect baseball from the DR. I do think she will be a position player and not a pitcher at this level.

She’s a junior this year. She made one appearance freshman year. She made one appearance sophomore year.  Sixteen position players have at bats so far this season. She’s not one of them. She cant get on the field in a pathetic baseball program. It’s completely political and woke that she’s on the roster.

@RJM posted:

Why do you obsess on it?

RJM, didn't you say this to the OP?  Back at ya - you've been harping on this for 2 years.

@RJM posted:

She’s a junior this year. She made one appearance freshman year. She made one appearance sophomore year.  Sixteen position players have at bats so far this season. She’s not one of them. She cant get on the field in a pathetic baseball program. It’s completely political and woke that she’s on the roster.

I stand corrected on her class year. I don't know the injury situation on the roster, but it appears to me that she is not the only upperclassman with little playing time. Nor is she the only upperclassman on a D1 roster in that situation. Not sure why you feel the need to call out someone's kid, especially at a non power conference school.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._Pro_Baseball_League

This will be located in the Northeast USA.

Bob

Politics happen even at the highest levels.

@PTWood posted:

Politics happen even at the highest levels.

Yup... and in every aspect of life.  Between money and human nature, bias and influence are almost always at play.  It is intriguing that so many of us expected high level baseball to somehow be the outlier. 

@anotherparent posted:

RJM, didn't you say this to the OP?  Back at ya - you've been harping on this for 2 years.

Yes he has. But RJM is a baseball purist and recognizes the absurdity of the situation. And it is absurd. It’s not an earned position on the part of the player. It’s a political statement on the part of Brown University.